JP3544668B2 - Crimp element and its manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to crimp elements of the type used for cigarettes and related products, such as, for example, tobacco smoke filters. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing such an element.
The continuous rod-shaped member used, especially for such as tobacco filters, is formed from a tow of fibrous filter material, for example, plastic cellulose acetate, or, as another example, defines a tortuous path for smoke. The air permeable plug having a plurality of communication cracks can be formed by a known technique. In the case of tows, the filamentary material is processed by various devices as the tow moves longitudinally through a continuous processing line. In the manufacture of filtered tobacco, depending on whether the treated material is self-holding, it can be rolled continuously or cut into separate lengths divided to form individual elements to associate with tobacco parts You. The formation of spaced radial recesses or crimped portions is a matter of course in continuously processing polymeric materials such as cellulose acetate tow. It is known in the art to form continuous longitudinally-spaced crimp portions in the traveling length of such materials by means of a crimping device; One or more with peripherally spaced teeth or lobes circumferentially engaging the material to rotate or compress the material at spaced apart air gaps along its length. It has a crimping wheel. A plurality of crimping wheels are arranged around the material advancing path and the rotation of the wheels is synchronized such that the teeth from the plurality of wheels simultaneously engage the material from different sides. Thus, each set of teeth from the wheel moves synchronously into engagement with the material, the material being sandwiched therebetween and compressed, forming a crimp portion of small or at least different cross section. As the teeth move away from the material, the original cross-section of the material is maintained. When the next set of teeth engages the material, another crimped portion is formed, which is performed continuously.
Examples of known crimping wheel structures used in the manufacture of tobacco filters are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,826,177 and 4,085,663. Examples of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. In a crimping wheel configuration using multiple wheels, there is a small air gap between the edges of each wheel. Thus, as the moving crimpable material passes between the wheels in the heated state, the edge portions of the crimped material are clamped through the gaps in the interface portions of the juxtaposed crimp teeth, "Flushing" or thin fins are formed at the edges of the compressed or crimped portion of the finished product. Such flushing is unsightly and undesirable in most applications. In some applications, most flushing is unacceptable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a "flashless" crimped polymer rod and elements cut therefrom for use in tobacco and related products such as cigars and pipes, and a method of making a product of this nature. And an apparatus. Such elements can be used as tobacco smoke filters, especially when made from plasticized cellulose acetate, etc., when the tobacco part is fixed in end-to-end relationship in the production of filtered tobacco. Has special effectiveness.
The rod-shaped member is formed continuously using conventional processing techniques, is formed from a unique polymeric material and has bulbous portions, wherein the bulbous portions are staggered longitudinally. The bulbous portion has a relatively large cross-section and includes connecting portions of relatively small cross-section that interconnect them together, wherein each of said bulbous portions is an interconnecting passage defining an air-permeable plug. And the connecting portion has a substantially flush-free longitudinal edge.
Another object of the present invention is a shaped member for use in tobacco or the like formed from a rod-shaped member as described above, wherein the member is not large crimped interconnected by a substantially flashless crimp portion. It is to provide a shaped member cut at the center of each bulbous portion to form a "dumbbell" shaped element with an air permeable end plug.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a threaded or cylindrical wrap formed of paper or the like so as to define an annular void or pocket between the crimp portion and the surrounding wrap portion so that the ends thereof are wrapped around. It is to provide a flash-free element of the above-mentioned shape which is enclosed. The bulb end of the rod-shaped member is slightly larger in diameter and slightly compressed in a known manner when the wrapping material is applied, with or without adhesive in between, at the end of the member. Improve the sealing effect of applied wrapping.
Depending on the end use of such a member, the voids and spaces formed between the end and the wrapping are filled with a smoke modifying medium, for example activated carbon particles, in which case the crimped part has no flashing This improves product uniformity and effectiveness when used as a cigarette smoke filter. As another example, pockets remain unfilled, producing tobacco filters and the like having low suction resistance, low pressure drop, and low filtration performance. The wrapping comprises a plurality of fine openings communicating with the pockets for introducing and diluting or cooling the tobacco smoke passing therethrough in a known manner.
"Flushless" crimping according to the invention is achieved by an arrangement of crimping wheels arranged around the material to be crimped, such that the tooth surfaces of this adjacent crimping wheel slide on one another. New teeth are formed so as to cooperate with each other during the crimping process, so that there is no gap between the teeth of adjacent wheels that clamp the material to be crimped. For example, the teeth of a crimping wheel engage and tighten against the material to be crimped at an angle to the crimping surface and an adjacent sealing surface. Adjacent wheels are arranged such that, in operation, the crimping surfaces of the teeth on one wheel slide across the sealing surface of the adjacent wheel as the sets of teeth engage to form a crimp.
The number of crimping wheels arranged around the rod material to be crimped depends on the shape of the crimp section required to form. In a preferred form of the invention, four crimping wheels with axes perpendicular to one another are used to produce a flushless rectangular crimped section or bar along the edge of their length. In this embodiment, the crimping surface of the tooth is perpendicular to the sealing surface. In other embodiments, for example, six crimping wheels may be used to form a hexagonal rod, or three crimping wheels may be used to form a triangular cross-section.
According to another feature of the invention, the second crimping device is provided downstream of the crimping device forming a flash-free connecting rod of crimpable material. For example, a second crimping device has a pair of oppositely disposed crimping wheels used to form oppositely opposed grooves of alternating bulb end portions of the rod. The rod member of this shape is cut into a dumbbell-shaped filter element having a groove at one bulb end and no groove at the other bulb end. The grooved end forms a low pressure drop end leading to the annular space surrounding the crimp connection described above. As is known in the art, filters of this construction have air dilution holes in the wrap around them. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of a crimping wheel according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the wheel of FIG.
FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a crimping wheel of the fixing device.
FIGS. 3 to 6 are enlarged perspective views of the crimping wheel showing successive stages of engagement of the teeth of the wheel during the crimping operation.
FIG. 7 is a side view of a rod-shaped member formed by such a crimping device.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a side view of a cigarette smoke filter formed from a part of the rod-shaped member, and has a cutaway view for clarity.
FIG. 10 is a front view for producing a deformed rod-shaped member according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the deformed rod-shaped member.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a deformed rod member as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, which is fixed to a tobacco portion to form a tobacco with a filter or the like.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The same reference numbers refer to the same parts throughout the several views. The method and apparatus of the present invention can be used to form crimpable materials for various uses. One use of such a member is as a smoke filter device for tobacco and the like. However, it is not intended to limit the scope of the claims relating to tobacco smoke filter devices and methods and devices relating to the production of such products.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, four crimping wheels 10A to 10D, each of which is shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2, provide for the formation of tobacco filter rods and elements. Used in known crimping equipment as shown in the aforementioned U.S. Patent to form a continuous crimp on a moving rod 12 of crimpable material, such as conventionally formed from a tow of plasticized cellulose acetate fibers. You. The crimping wheels 10A to 10D are shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 to form material on the rod-shaped member 14 (FIGS. 7 and 8) when divided into overlapping and dumbbell-shaped members 16 in a known manner. It works schematically in such a way (see FIG. 9).
As described above, the crimpable material 12 that engages the crimping wheels 10A-10D may be, for example, a fibrous tobacco smoke filter material such as plastic cellulose acetate that is processed into rod-like members by known filter manufacturing methods. With tow. Such methods, for example, pull the tow through a stach jet, a steam head and a cooling head to form an air permeable rod having fibers bonded together at their points of contact. The rod then has four crimping wheels with the axes perpendicular to each other, as seen in the aforementioned U.S. Patents, to form a crimped portion in a substantially "flash-free" spaced fiber material. It can be passed through a crimping device using the unique crimping wheels 10A-10D of the present invention.
The wheels 10A to 10D will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The wheel 10A has a central hub portion 20A having a through hole 22A and an opening 24A disposed about the through hole 22A for mounting the wheel to a suitable drive shaft of a crimping device in a known manner. The outer ring portion 26A of the wheel has a peripheral crimping tooth 28A. Each tooth has an outer crimping surface 30A and an adjacent sealing surface 32A substantially perpendicular to the crimping surface. The same parts of the other wheels 10B to 10D have the same reference numbers with the relative numbers.
The wheels 10A-10B surround the moving crimpable material and are positioned in a crimping device as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2A, the material to be crimped moves in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing between adjacent edges of the wheel. For example, referring to FIG. 2, when the wheel 10A rotates in the direction of the arrow, the material to be crimped moves from right to left in the plane of the drawing. With the known crimping device, as the wheel 10 rotates, each wheel approaches each other and the tow material clamps therebetween. Thus, as the material passes between the rotating wheels, the continuous teeth or lobes form spaced crimped portions in the material, alternating with the non-crimped portions formed by the gaps between the teeth. Be placed. In the present invention, this shape interacts between the juxtaposed wheels, eliminating flushing along the meshing surfaces of the wheels, as shown in FIGS. 3-6, which show that the material is crimped. For this purpose, the teeth of each wheel engage together and slide against one another while forming a crimp portion.
FIG. 3 shows where the ends of the set of teeth 28A-28D move to start crimping. This illustrates, for example, the engagement of the leading edge "X" of the tooth of wheel 10A with the corresponding end of tooth 28B-28D of the other wheel. As shown in FIG. 3, in this position, the edges of the crimp surfaces 30A-30D of the various teeth just touch and the crimped material 12 passes through the void defined between the crimp surfaces 30A-30D. I do.
As the wheel rotates continuously, the teeth 28A-28D progressively engage the crimp surfaces 30A-30D that slide across the sealing surfaces 32A-32D of the adjacent wheel teeth, and the tow material 12 forms a rectangular shape between the teeth. As the void decreases, it is gradually crimped. In addition, the sliding of the crimp surface of the tooth with one wheel on the sealing surface of the tooth of the juxtaposed wheel as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 results in a rectangular corner, i.e. the longitudinal direction of the crimp portion. The formation of edge flushing is prevented.
FIG. 6 shows the point of maximum engagement "z" of each tooth (see FIG. 2). Then, as the wheel rotates continuously, the teeth are open and in the position returned to FIG. 3, the trailing edges of teeth 28A have deviated from the corresponding ends of teeth 28B-28D.
The crimping device produces a rod-like member 14 (FIGS. 8 and 9) having a thin, rectangular crimp portion or bar 34 that interconnects the bulbous non-crimp portions 36 together. The longitudinal edges or corners of the crimp portion are substantially free of flashing.
The drawings are exaggerated for convenience of description and are not necessarily to scale. In particular, the length of each crimp portion 34 corresponds to the length of each tooth between ends X and Y, and the length of each bulb portion 26 corresponds to the length of the gap between the teeth of the crimp wheel. I do.
The rod-like member 14 is divided by cutting in the middle of the non-crimped portion 36 to form a dumbbell-shaped member 16 which is useful for tobacco and related products in the manufacture of filtered tobacco. In this regard, the rod 14 is continuously wrapped in a conventional manner with a wrapping material 38 such as paper prior to cutting. In such a case, an annular pocket 39 is formed between the wrapping 38 and the crimp portion 34, which is filled in a known manner with a smoke modifying material such as particles such as activated carbon 40. You. The lack of flashing at the corners of the crimp section improves the distribution and uniformity of the particulate material, minimizes channeling, and improves filter efficiency.
As is common in tobacco manufacture, the tobacco pair is formed end-to-end and a double filter length member is provided by chipping overlap (not shown in FIG. 9). It is fixed in the middle of the tobacco part. The filter member is cut at the center to form the tobacco. The wrapping 38 (and the chipping surround) also has a perforated portion of air dilution (not shown) to allow air to enter the annular pocket 39. Also, in the bulbous, uncrimped portion 36 of the rod-like member, it is made with somewhat larger dimensions as the diameter is compressed by wrapping 38 during manufacture. This procedure improves the seal between the wrapping 38 and the filter end 36, avoids the passage of smoke along the interface, and pushes the smoke through the front uncrimped portion 36.
FIGS. 10 to 13 show that the other bulbous portion 36 "of the rod-shaped member 14 'is provided with a longitudinal groove which is further oriented in the opposite direction, and that the rod-shaped member 14' 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
For example, member 14 'may be manufactured on a production line as shown in FIG. 10 of the same type used to form member 14, but in accordance with a feature of the inventive concept of tandem crimping. With device. In such a line, the filament tow can be pulled by a pulling device 50 through a conventional stuffer jet 44 and through a steam head 46 and a cooling head 48. The rod 12 is advanced on the rod 12 through a first crimping device 52 that includes, for example, four crimp wheels, as described above, of a flash-free, crimp portion 34 '. The rod passes through at least one, and two or more diametrically arranged crimping wheels (not shown), the wheels being longitudinally only at the non-crimped portions 36 of the alternating rods. It is configured to form a groove 42 and is synchronized with the movement of the rod. The rod-like member 14 'passes from the second cooling device 54 through the cooling device by a conventional pulling device, and is surrounded and cut in a conventional manner (not shown).
FIG. 13 shows a rod-shaped member 14 'in which a dumbbell-shaped member 16' is fixed to one end of a tobacco rod 60 having a groove end 36 "adjacent to the tobacco by a tipping overlap (not shown) or a band 63. It is used to form tobacco filters of the type shown in FIG. 1. Air dilution openings 64 and the like are provided and the end portions are somewhat larger in size and are compressed by wrapping 38 '. The grooved end 36 "has low resistance to smoke passage, resulting in low pressure drop and poor filtration performance in the final product.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, the invention is not so limited and modifications can be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (19)

A length of polymeric material having bulbous ends connected and integrally connected to one another by a central portion of relatively small cross-section;
The bulbous end has an air permeable plug;
The central portion has longitudinal edges extending between the bulbous ends, and these edges are substantially flushless, such as elements used in tobacco or the like,
An element further comprising a generally tubular overwrap material covering the element, leaving a gap between the bulbous portions, and defining an annular pocket surrounding the central portion. The element of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material comprises a plurality of polymeric fibers, wherein the air-permeable plug is formed by the fibers bonded together at points of contact. 3. The element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polymer fibers comprise cellulose acetate tow. Element according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the central part has a polygonal cross section, such as a square. Element according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one of said bulbous ends has at least one longitudinally extending peripheral groove, preferably diametrically arranged longitudinally extending peripheral grooves. The bulbous portion is radially compressed by the overwrapping material,
The element according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a number of openings formed in the overwrap material in communication with the pocket. An elongated rod-shaped member comprising a number of the elements according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ends are integrally connected. Tobacco part,
7. At least one element according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ends are fixedly joined to the tobacco part, preferably wherein the one bulbous end is the tobacco part. Cigarettes juxtaposed to each other. 9. The cigarette of claim 8, comprising a smoke modifying material, such as activated carbon particles, contained within the pocket. An apparatus for forming a rod-shaped member according to claim 7 from a predetermined travel length of the crimpable material,
The rod-shaped member has a relatively large cross-section uncrimped portion and a relatively small cross-section crimp portion alternately in the length direction,
The apparatus has at least a first crimping means for forming the crimping part,
The first crimping means comprises a plurality of crimping wheels arranged around a path through which the material travels;
Each crimping wheel has an axis of rotation in a plane perpendicular to the passage,
The axes of each wheel are mutually inclined,
Each wheel has circumferentially spaced teeth,
Each tooth has an outwardly facing crimping surface and an adjacent sealing surface inclined with respect to the crimping surface;
The crimping surfaces of each tooth are connected to prevent material from being pinched between the teeth during formation of the crimp portion, thereby forming a longitudinal edge in the crimp portion with substantially no flashing. When the wheels are rotated about the axis to form a crimped portion in the material between the respective teeth, the corresponding teeth of each wheel slide over the sealing surfaces of the adjacent teeth such that the crimping surface of each tooth is adjacent. A device for forming a rod-like member, in which the wheels are arranged to engage while moving. The first crimping device comprises four crimps having axes perpendicular to each other disposed about the passage to form a crimp portion having a square cross section substantially free of flushing at longitudinal edges. 11. The device according to claim 10, comprising a ping wheel. Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the sealing surface of each tooth is perpendicular to the crimping surface. A second crimping device following the first crimping device in a travel path of the material;
11. The second crimping device having portions forming at least one longitudinally extending peripheral groove, preferably diametrically disposed longitudinally extending peripheral grooves, in every other uncrimped portion. 13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 12. A method of forming a rod-shaped material according to claim 7 from a predetermined travel length of the crimpable material,
By continuously tightening the material between cooperating peripheral teeth of a plurality of crimping wheels spaced around a path through which the material travels, the material is alternately spaced from the non-crimped portion of the material. Continuously forming a crimp portion placed with
As each crimp portion is formed, the crimping surface of each wheel tooth is engaged and slid across the sealing surface of the adjacent wheel tooth, thereby ensuring that material is clamped between the wheels. Forming a non-crimped portion having a longitudinal edge without flashing without flashing. Enclosing the rod-shaped member with a tubular wrap fixed around an uncrimped part;
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising cutting the wrapped member into discrete lengths substantially at the center of the selected uncrimped portion. Prior to said enclosing step, in a further crimping operation, every other non-crimped part having at least one longitudinally extending peripheral groove, preferably diametrically arranged longitudinally extending peripheral grooves, is formed. 16. The method according to claim 15, comprising the additional step of: 17. The method of claim 14, further comprising securing the rod-shaped member to one end of the tobacco rod, preferably such that the non-crimped portion is adjacent the end of each tobacco rod to form a tobacco with a filter. The method according to any of the above. 18. The method of any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the surrounding step comprises radially compressing the uncrimped portion by the tubular wrapping. The method of any of claims 15 to 18, comprising adding a smoke modifying material, such as activated carbon particles, into an annular pocket formed between the uncrimped portion and the wrap inside the wrap. the method of.

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